My Apology
by lord of the land of fire
Summary: Lucy escapes without suffering head trauma. She has only one goal. To find the boy she loves and offer him an apology.
1. Betrayal and escape

_The world is hell. _She thought. The world had always been hell, just different stages and different variations, all with their own unique forms of torment. When she'd been little she'd lived in an orphanage and been treated like an outcast, not only by the other orphans but the adult caretakers too. She'd been miserable and lonely. Longing for nothing more than a friend, someone who would be kind to her and honestly like her even if she was a horned freak. For a moment she thought she'd made two friends. One a little dog who she'd fed and come to love. The other was a girl at the orphanage who told her to trust her.

She's gone ahead and done it because she'd wanted so badly for the friendship she was offering to be real.

It hadn't been of course. The girl had betrayed her and she'd been forced to watch as the other orphans beat her poor little dog to death. That was the first time she _really _understood how evil this world was, how heartless.

Then there had been Kouta. A boy she'd met by her dog's grave. He'd seen her horns and she was about to kill him when he told her he thought her horns were cool.

He became her friend, her one real friend, if only for a little while. He'd talked to her, played with her, given her, her very first gift, and taken her to the zoo. Her days with Kouta were the only happy time in her bleak memory. His kindness and gentleness the only mercy she'd ever found. He was the only one to ever treat her decently, and for that she had loved him.

And then he'd lied to her. She'd seen him with another girl and something inside of her snapped. She couldn't stand seeing him being kind to another girl and so… she'd punished him. For his deceit, for his betrayal, she murdered his sister and father right there in front of him. She'd hurt him, made him cry and scream and beg for her to stop. And when she saw how she'd hurt the boy she loved so very much she was consumed by shame and guilt. She ran away from him crying out that she was sorry.

Then there'd been another little girl. She'd been abandoned and was living alone on the streets. Lucy had taken pity on her and actually helped her survive for a time. Then _they _came for her, the men with the guns and the masks. The men with Kurama. They had come for her but that poor girl got in the way. She'd been shot by mistake. Kurama had promised to save her if she surrendered. So she had, just to help that poor little girl.

A few days later Kurama had come to see her in her little, 'cage.' He'd told her the girl had died and apologized. She in turn had promised never to kill him, that she would instead take from him what he held dear.

And now she was here, in the deepest pit of all. In her cage, her hands and feet locked up, and her head trapped inside a metal helmet. She was kept naked and treated like a test subject for all sorts of sadistic experiments. She wasn't even human, but a new race called 'diclonius.' She supposed that made it a little easier for the humans to do the things they did. But then again, humans didn't seem to have much of the, 'humanity' they claimed to believe in. She'd only seen humanity from one person, the person she'd loved and then betrayed.

She'd been nine when she was first brought to this place. She didn't know how long she'd been here. Years obviously, her body had grown from a little girl's into a woman's. She didn't know what she looked like, the helmet was almost always in place, and she didn't have a mirror anyway. Sometimes during the endless hours here she through about killing herself. She imagined using one of her vectors to deliver one quick sharp blow to her own neck and bring an end to this misery. She sometimes felt _very _tempted.

But she didn't for one reason. She wanted to find Kouta. She wanted to apologize and beg his forgiveness. She wanted to kneel before him and confess that she still loved him and would always love him. To ask him if there was any way…

Inside her helmet she heard the faint echoes of her own laughter. It was funny. She wanted him to return her love after she'd murdered his family. _How could he ever love someone like me? How could he ever even forgive me? _If she ever did see him again she expected he would only hate her now. He would laugh in her face if he heard her say what was in her heart. That would be just one more kind of torture, one more version of hell to pass through. But even though she knew he would never forgive her she still needed to find him again and at least tell him. Even if it was hopeless she had to do at least that much.

So for that reason she had willed herself to endure. She'd clawed and held on to her sanity. She'd kept her secret dream and made it her only reason to survive.

And now she thought there might be a way out of this particular pit in hell.

XXXXXXXXXX

The lights in her vast room dimmed and came back on three times. It was a signal she was very familiar with. The one guard who was supposed to always be watching her laughed and got up. He pressed down on a heavy lever and the massive iron doors slid slowly open.

A few minutes later a man in a lab coat came in and handed the guard a wad of money.

The guard took it and made it disappear. "Thirty minutes," he said. He stepped out and the man in the lab coat pulled the lever back up causing the vault door to slide back into place. She knew that while he was here the security cameras and microphones were all running a 'loop' and no one knew what was going on.

He approached her cage without any fear or hesitation. "Hello Lucy," his voice was filled with longing. His eyes roamed her body hungrily.

"Hello Kakuzawa dear, I've missed you." She spoke in that sweet teasing voice she knew he liked.

"Oh I've missed you too Lucy! You have no idea how much!" Without hesitation he stepped into her cage.

She longed to reach out and rip him apart. She hated him and the things he did, but he was her one and only hope for escape. Killing him now would do her no good; he was intelligent enough not to have the keys to her locks with him. But he promised he would free her so they could be together and, 'create a new race of dicloni.'

As he stood there he tossed away his toupee to expose the two small horns that marked him as a diclonius. He seemed to get some sort of perverted thrill in doing this. She really didn't understand. Before she'd come here she'd hated her damn horns and always hid them. Whenever people stared at them she would feel sick.

With his toupee off he got rid of his lab coat and did what he always did during these times. He grabbed her tits and began playing with them.

"Ohhhh, yeeees," she moaned. His feeble touchings did nothing for her, but she knew he liked it when he thought she was excited.

His mouth was soon sucking at her breasts and his hands went all over her body. He grabbed her ass, her thighs, and rubbed her pussy. That did feel a _little _good but not much.

"Oh Lucy! I love you! I love you!" She could feel him shaking with emotion as he cried out and touched her with even more urgency.

_How pathetic, _she thought with disdain. _You just want my body and you think that's love. Love involves sacrifice and caring for someone without asking for anything in return. _But she needed him and so she gave him what she knew he wanted. "Oh darling, oh Kakuzawa, I love you too!"

"Lucy! Please let me make love to you!" he began to unbutton his pants.

"No!" She said harshly and shoved him away with one of her vectors.

He fell to the hard floor and looked up at her with a pathetic face. "Lucy! Please let me! I love you so much I can't stand it!"

"I've already told you no," she said without compassion. "We can be lovers only after you free me! If you love me keep your promise and get me out of here." She changed her voice from harsh to gentle and sultry. "Then I'll let you do all those things you talked about. I'll be your very own private little whore."

She could see from the bulge in his pants that he was excited by her. But would he ever have the courage to do more than these little fondling sessions of his? Sooner or later someone was bound to figure out what was going on. She needed him to free her before that happened.

To her surprise he nodded as he stood. "Tomorrow, I'll free you tomorrow."

She stared at him through the lenses in her helmet. "Really?"

"I swear it, tomorrow I'm getting you out of here and then you'll be all mine." He hurried up to her and began sucking her tits again. He was desperate for every second with her he could get.

Inside her helmet Lucy smiled.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next night Chief Kurama was in his office working late as usual. His assistant Kigaragi had volunteered to stay late as well and had gone off to get him some coffee. In an idle part of his mind he wondered if she'd manage to get at least half a cup to his office.

XXXXXXXXXX

In her cage she waited, her heart pounding, wondering when eight thirty would come. There was no clock on the wall and it was not as though she could ask the solitary guard for the time. The thought she might actually be free soon was driving her mad. _If he lied to me I swear I'll kill him the next time he comes to see me._

She was wondering if the time had come and gone when suddenly the lights in her room blinked off. The emergency lights came on after just a couple seconds with a sickly green glow. But along with them came four little, 'clinks.' The locks that bound her wrists and ankles came free. She fell to the ground as she was no longer suspended.

The guard who'd been calmly reading a paper suddenly jumped to his feet and whipped out his ridiculous .38. He was staring at her with sheer terror on his face. He _knew _what she could do. And if he didn't she gave him a demonstration as she tore open the metal bars like straw. She began to walk towards him with no rush to her steps.

"Stop!" he screamed and opened fire. He emptied all six rounds from his gun's chambers.

She caught them and kept a slow deliberate pace towards him. He pulled down the lever and was trying to squeeze out when she ripped his head off.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurama was reading a report when the general alarm sounded. Taken off guard he got on the phone to contact security and see what was happening.

XXXXXXXXXX

Four guards with rifles were dead at her feet. The bullets and shell cases jingled as she walked past them towards the elevator.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kigaragi was aware of the alarm going off and noticed the armed security guards running past, but didn't really worry about it too much. It had nothing to do with her. She was concentrating on getting the coffee down the hall without spilling it.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurama had twenty armed men at a vital intersection in front of the elevator Lucy was using. He had to stop her here or she would be able to reach the exits.

The doors of the elevator opened and there was Lucy. Her face was hidden behind her steel helmet, otherwise she was naked. Her feet were coated in blood. She stepped out of the elevator and stood there a moment eyeing Kurama and his men. Kurama and the men all tensed knowing what was about to happen.

Then out of nowhere…

"Wha!" Kigaragi tripped and the coffee spilled all over the floor. "Oh no!" She wailed.

Kurama saw Lucy turn her head to idly look at the young woman. "Kigaragi get out of here! Lucy don't do it!" He saw her head turn from his assistant to look directly back at him. Suddenly Kigaragi was lifted into the air and placed right in front of Lucy, directly between her and the armed guards.

"What! What's happening?!" Kigaragi shouted in panic.

"This girl," Lucy called out. "Is she important to you Kurama?"

"Ye… yes, please don't hurt her. She's an innocent."

"You mean like the little girl who was with me?" Lucy asked. "I won't hurt her, I give you my word. Just have your men stand aside and let me go. If you do I'll spare her."

"I can't do that Lucy," Kurama choked out.

"Well then I guess you'll have to shoot through her to get to me then won't you?"

"Damn you Lucy!"

"Chi… chief, what's going on?" Kigaragi asked with tears in her eyes. She really was an innocent. All she knew about the place where she worked was that it was a medical research facility. She had never once been into the restricted areas to see just what they did here.

Kurama looked directly into her eyes. "I am so sorry Kigaragi, but I can't let that person leave here. No matter what."

Kigaragi saw the pain on his face and the sorrow in the eyes of the other men. She saw their guns were all pointed right at her. "Chief, will… will my death help you?" She asked him hopefully.

He stared at her. How could she be so brave? He nodded. "Ye… yes it will save many lives. Your sacrifice will not be for nothing."

She smiled at him through her tears. "Good! I'm glad. It's all right Chief do what you have to. I forgive you."

He stared at her. He made himself look at her, burned this moment into his heart. "Thank you," he whispered. And then he shouted. "Shoot to kill!!"

The men all fired emptying their guns into Kigaragi's body. Mercifully she was killed almost instantly. But Kurama was still forced to watch as she was torn apart and shredded by the bullets. When the men ran out of ammunition Lucy let the bloodied corpse fall discarded. She stepped forward and began killing the men with her vectors. One idiot actually tried to rush her. She tore out his heart. Seeing they would only die if they stayed the remaining guards ran away screaming.

The only ones left alive in the corridor were her and Kurama. They were only a few feet apart. She was eying him through her helmet and he was glaring at her hatefully. He knew she could kill him in an instant and he expected she would. Running never even occurred to him.

"You lied to her," Lucy said. "Her sacrifice really was for nothing. How does that make you feel?"

"Go to hell!" he screamed at her.

She chuckled. "No need, I'm already there." She looked at him. "Do you want to know how I escaped?" And in the corridor surrounded by blood and by still warm bodies she told him.

He stared at her in shock at the betrayal. "I don't believe you! You're lying!"

"Why would I lie?" She began walking past him. "You should just be glad I promised I would never kill you."

She stopped after going a couple steps past him. She then slowly turned around again. "Though I never said I wouldn't hurt you."

Kurama suddenly screamed as he felt his arms and legs being broken.

XXXXXXXXXX

About twenty minutes later he was found, mercifully unconscious. In the meantime though no one had been in charge of the defenses. No one had though to call in the sniper they had on sight with his .50 caliber anti tank gun.

Lucy was able to escape without a trace.


	2. A fresh start

Kakuzawa was waiting by his car on a lonely stretch of road. Everything had gone as planned. He'd entered one of the secondary lab control rooms and entered his father's pass codes into the system. That allowed him to override all the systems within the base. That was how he put the, 'fix' in whenever he went to see Lucy. Tonight he'd shut off the main power. The backup generators had kicked in immediately, but many of the security and surveillance systems had been put off live to conserve power. The clamps on Lucy's wrists and ankles were specifically designed _not _to unlock in case of power failure. He'd had to use the override to free her. Once that was done he hadn't needed to do much more. Lucy and her incredible abilities had taken care of the rest. The only other thing he'd had to do was open one of the outer doors following the lock down. He'd then been able to slip away in all the confusion.

He's already hidden the scuba gear and a key to her helmet. He'd told her where he would be waiting for her. He had clothes waiting for her in his car. He would take her back to his place where he was sure she would be safe. After all who would expect an escaped diclonius to be hiding out with a researcher? The thought of Lucy, naked and wet coming out of the sea aroused him. The thought of her naked and tied to his bed excited him even more.

XXXXXXXXXX

She'd gone out the open door and then found the scuba equipment. As important she'd found a key to unlock her damn helmet. Scuba tanks didn't really matter in you couldn't put on the snorkel and goggles. When the helmet came off it was, literally, a weight off her shoulders. She quickly tied on the tanks and put on the snorkel and goggles and leapt naked into the ocean. With her vectors she was able to move like a shark just beneath the surface.

_I'm free! I'm finally free again! _A part of her brain told her that all this meant was that she was just in a new section of hell and that she could expect some sort of torment to begin soon. Most of her was just exhilarated to finally be out of that place. Even if she did end up in some new pit at least it would be a _different _pit from the one she'd endured all these years.

As she was swimming she spotted the land mark Kakuzawa had mentioned. She wondered just how long he would sit there waiting for her. _Idiot will probably still be there when the sun comes up. _He had freed her from that place. As thanks she had decided that she would never kill him. In her mind this was no small thing. Only three people had ever been put on the, 'never kill' list. But as with Kurama, being on the list didn't necessarily mean she liked him. Yes, he had done her a huge service by freeing her. _But _he had done it for his own selfish reasons. She didn't intend to become his personal sex slave out of gratitude. She'd actually told Kurama what she did because she'd known it would hurt them both.

Swimming past the land mark she headed for the shining lights of Kamakura.

XXXXXXXXXX

She headed for a darkened section of the beach and came out of the surf unobserved. She quickly shed the equipment and ran onto the beach. She headed for the nearest little house.

XXXXXXXXXX

Naru had finally gotten everything unpacked and had made herself a late dinner of rice and stir fried chicken. The first day of school was the day after tomorrow. She was a college fresh man and couldn't wait to get started. Mom and dad had gotten her a nice place to live while she was here and were providing for her. She couldn't wait to go to university; she hoped to make lots of good friends and amazing memories.

She was surprised when she heard a knock on her back door. The back porch faced the beach. She wasn't nervous as she went to answer it though, this was a safe neighborhood. When she opened it she was dumbstruck. There, standing in her doorway, was a _naked _girl! And were those _horns _sticking out of her head?

The naked girl took one look at her and smiled. "Wonderful!" She said. "You're a girl and I think we're the same size."

"What?"

That was the last thing Naru ever said. Without warning something grabbed her jaw and twisted her head straight back until there was a loud snap.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lucy was gobbling down the dinner her late host had unwittingly cooked for her. It was so good! During her years in that place she'd forgotten about all the little joys that even life in hell could have. Things like real food, a hot bath, shampoo, television, music, and just curling up in a nice warm bed. For the past how many years she had been treated like a lab rat, not like a human being.

She'd been fed a nutritious gruel twice a day _every _day. It tasted like cardboard and they never gave her quite enough of it. She lived being perpetually a little hungry. Though in good health. (Wouldn't want the lab rats dying of malnutrition before they could be tortured to death in experiments.) Every morning and every night she was hosed down, very much as a dog might be. Each night she went to sleep in her cage suspended in a standing position. She'd learned to sleep that way since she'd had no choice.

She ate the whole meal, every grain of rice, every scrap of meat, and every bit of vegetable. She drank hot tea with her food. When she was done she actually felt full for the first time in years.

Next she went to the bathroom. She was delighted to see an actual tub as well as a wide assortment of soaps, shampoos, and (YES!) bubble bath! Entering the bathroom there was a mirror above the sink. She stopped to stare at the stranger looking back at her. _So this is what I look like. _She could see some of her old face looking back at her, but there were differences too. She noted her horns had gotten bigger; she tried not to dwell on that. She concentrated on her other features; her long red hair, red eyes, small nose, cheeks, chin, ears, and mouth. She smiled, frowned, looked serious, looked silly, she tried to make as many different faces as she could. _Am I pretty? _She wondered. She thought so but didn't know if she would really judge. _Would Kouta think I was pretty?_

"Stupid," she muttered to herself. She started filling the tub with hot water and dumped half a bottle of bubble bath into it. Seeing all the bubble fill and then overflow the tub actually made her laugh and feel almost gleeful. She got in and soaked. It was heaven.

She lay out on a nice soft bed watching television as she munched on cookies. The fact there was a dead body not fifteen feet away didn't enter her mind. It was a very nice little house. She wouldn't have minded staying a few days, maybe even a week if she could bury the body somewhere. But she didn't dare. She felt it would be safe for one night, but only one. She would get up early tomorrow to search for money, jewels, and anything else she could pawn. Then she would pick out some clothes and go. She meant to get as far away from that place as she could. After so many years of being a lab rat though she had definitely earned this short respite and the chance to actually feel human again.

She drifted off to sleep in that nice warm bed.

XXXXXXXXXX

She left the house early the next morning. She'd really lucked out. The girl had, had an envelope _stuffed _with money. She'd also had quite a few pieces of gold jewelry. Lucy picked out a cute knee length skirt and blouse. She's also found a backpack like college students used. She'd decided to fill it with clothes and take it with her. She also found a cute little beret that covered her horns. She raided the fridge and cupboard and filled up on fruits, nuts, and bread. She didn't know how to cook but that was all right, it wasn't like she was a picky eater.

It had been a _long _time since she'd been in Kamakura. She thought she still knew her way though. She was headed for the train station. She had plenty of cash and was going to buy a ticket for the first train that would take her anywhere, so long as it was far from here. As she was going she spotted something familiar.

"Oh, I remember this place!"

It was a stairway leading down to the beach. She stopped and stood there on the top step. She and Kouta had been here once, years ago. It had been after that wonderful day at the zoo. The two of them had stood right here at this very spot and looked out upon the ocean at sunset. It wasn't sunset now, but it was the same view and the same ocean. After all this time, coming here she felt a connection to that special day. She felt a connection to Kouta. Though she needed to go she remained there, just soaking in the view. She would never be back again and wanted to remember this. She knew it was unlikely she would ever see Kouta again. This was probably as close as she would ever come. She just wanted a few minutes to enjoy this feeling.

"Excuse me," a polite voice asked. "Are you lost?"

She turned around to answer, only to have her heart suddenly skip a beat. It was him. His face had changed some as hers had; he'd grown from a boy into a man. But she recognized him instantly all the same.

"Kouta," she whispered.

The boy blinked in surprise. "I… I'm sorry have we met?"

She was a little disappointed that he didn't recognize her like she did him. But she could understand, it had been years and she had changed. Well one thing hadn't changed. "Come with me," she grabbed his hand and started pulling her down the stairs towards the beach.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"I just need to show you something."

XXXXXXXXXX

On the beach she'd looked around and spotted a small abandoned tool shed. It was perfect. She dragged him into it and then shut the creaky door.

"What are you doing?" He asked nervously. He didn't know what to make of this very beautiful but strange girl.

She looked at him and could feel her heart pounding like it would burst. She'd dreamed of this moment, lived for this moment. This was it, she was going to apologize to him and beg for his forgiveness. And then she would confess her feelings. Reaching up she pulled off her beret revealing her horns. "It's me Kouta, Lucy."

"Lucy?" He stared blankly at her horns. An image flashed in his mind; a little girl. He heard her voice filled with such unfathomable hatred as she called him a liar. He felt an abrupt unspeakable terror filling him, it made him shake and his knees go weak.

Seeing him shaking and about to fall Lucy reached out and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Kouta are you…"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!" He screamed at her and jerked his arm away. She jumped back as well. But his sudden shout brought the episode to an immediate end. The strange memory and the emotions it inspired vanished like smoke in the wind. "I'm… I'm sorry; I don't know why I did that." He bowed to her in apology. "Please accept my apology."

Lucy stood there and looked at him in sad understanding. "It's all right Kouta you have the right to be angry with me."

"What?" He looked at her in confusion. "I'm not angry with you; I don't know why I just said that."

"You said it because of what I did to you."

His eyes blinked rapidly. His confusion was mounting. "What you did to me? I'm very sorry, but have we met before today?"

Now she looked at him in confusion. "Wait, are you saying you don't remember me?"

He had an embarrassed grin. "I'm sorry but I don't."

She stared at him. _How is it possible? I mean it's not like he could have met a lot of other girls with horns. Not to mention what I did to him. How can he __**not**__ know me?_

"I'm sorry, it's obvious you know me, but I don't know from where. Could you please tell me how we know each other?"

"All right," she said slowly. "We met here as children during the summer nine years ago. You became my treasured friend and we played together. And… and I was on the train as you and your family were leaving."

At her explanation some understanding began to enter his eyes. "Oh, now I think I understand. Nine years ago was the last time I came here with my family. I don't have a lot of memories from that summer. You see shortly after returning home my father was killed in an accident and my little sister developed a terminal illness."

_Accident? Illness? What is he talking about? _"Your father died in an accident and your sister died of a sickness?" She asked clarifying.

"That's right," he said with a nod. "That was a very rough time for me and I spent a lot of time in a hospital. I lost a lot of memories from back then, so if we knew each other I'm sorry, but I don't remember."

"I… I see," she said. And she did. What she had done to him had been so traumatic the only way he could deal with it was to completely obliterate the memory. He'd invented a different sort of tragedy to explain the loss of his family, something a nine year old mind could accept. He really had forgotten her.

That at once excited and saddened her.

She couldn't help but feel sad knowing that all the times they'd shared, the happiest moments in her life, were nothing but a blank space to him. She couldn't apologize to him now. How could she give him a meaningful apology for something he didn't remember?

But on the other hand, this was something she'd never dared hope for. The chance for a real fresh start. All the sins of the past had been wiped clean. He wouldn't hate her now. She had an honest chance to win his heart.

She wouldn't be leaving Kamakura now. No matter how dangerous it might be she was going to stay right here and be with him. She put her beret back on. "I'm very sorry for your loss Kouta. I understand now that you don't remember me, but I still remember you. If, if you don't mind do you think we could get to know each other again? I would really like that."

He couldn't believe that such a beautiful girl was showing an interest in him. "Sure, I'd really like that. I noticed your backpack, are you a student at the university?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes I am." She didn't like lying to him but there was no avoiding it. For his own sake for their sake she had to hide the truth.

He looked at her nervously. "Would you, uh maybe, like to get some lunch with me and look at the campus?"

"I would love to Kouta!" She eagerly took his arm and leaned against him. She deliberately let his arm brush against her breast. "Oh, but could you please keep my horns a secret? I don't like people knowing about them."

He nodded. "Sure, but personally I think your horns are really cool."

She felt thrilled. _He hasn't changed. _"Kouta I knew you would say that."


	3. A place to stay

On the way to see the campus they stopped at a little restaurant. Kouta ordered a beef bowl and Lucy did the same. The second her food was put in front of her she grabbed her utensils and began to gobble it down. It was so good! She'd eaten about half of it before she noticed the amused look Kouta was giving her.

"What?" She asked nervously. She could face a dozen armed men who were trying to kill her and not even have her heart beat rise. But just a _look _from him was enough to worry her.

"It's nothing," he said with a grin. "It's good to see a girl with an appetite."

"It's good food," she said defensively. "And I'm hungry." Growing up in the orphanage proper table etiquette had never really been a priority. Then she'd had to survive on the street for a time before being locked up and treated like a test animal. She believed in being polite when possible, simply because it tended to make things a little easier. But when it came to food all she understood was that she wanted to feed her hunger as fast as she could.

"It's fine," he said and got back to eating. "It's just that most girls are such picky eaters it's sort of refreshing to see a girl who just enjoys her meal."

Lucy carefully looked around the restaurant. She particularly looked at the other girls, most of whom looked to be around her age and skinny. An awful lot of them seemed to be eating salads for some reason, and all of them were eating slowly and deliberately. She knew there was no way she would ever _choose _to eat a salad, not when she had gone so long without having tasted meat. She also wasn't sure she would be able to restrain herself when she was hungry. But having eaten enough to dull her hunger she began eating more slowly. She deliberately tried to match Kouta's pace.

"Lucy, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, ask me anything Kouta."

"When we met you seemed to expect me to be angry with you about something. What could you have done that I would be angry about after all these years?" He asked curiously.

_How about kill you sister and father right in front of your eyes?_ Her nimble mind struggled to come up with something. "I… I was upset with you for not being able to go to the festival with me on your last night here. So I… I said I hated you and that I didn't want to be friends with you." She looked down at the table. That wasn't the truth but there were elements of the truth in it.

"Is that all?" Kouta asked pleasantly. "There's no need to think I would be angry with you for something like that after such a long time. Even if I did remember I wouldn't be bothered."

She looked back up at him. "I… I guess you're right. It's just, well, the way we said goodbye… I've always, always regretted it Kouta. I always wanted the chance to tell you I was sorry."

"Well," he said easily. "If it makes a difference to you, I forgive you."

She felt her face heat up and her heart begin to pound. _I forgive you. _He had no idea how she'd ached to hear those few words from him. She understood that this wasn't really forgiveness for what she'd done. But even so, just hearing those words from him made her happier than she'd thought she could be.

"Thank you," she answered softly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurama was lying in a bed in the base infirmary. Both arms and both legs were in casts and he had an IV drip providing him pain medication. Despite his condition though the Director was here berating him.

"I hold you personally responsible Kurama!" He said furiously. "Thirty three men dead and Lucy escaped into the general population! Do you have any idea the size of the disaster? Do you know how difficult this will be to keep secret?"

"If you want my resignation you can have it," Kurama said calmly.

That only made the Director glare at him even more furiously. "Idiot! Who would I replace you with?! My son?" The rude noise he made demonstrated what he thought of that. "I don't want your resignation, I want Lucy back."

"Recapture would be extraordinarily difficult. I think we should concentrate on terminating her."

"Fine!" The Director barked. "There are more and more dicloni being born in this country every year. It's not like she'll be hard to replace!"

_There you are wrong, _Kurama thought. _Lucy is unique, her intelligence and her will to live set her apart from any other test subject. That is why she must be exterminated; she is too much of a survivor to take chances with. _"Have you made a public announcement about her?"

"Don't be an idiot! What would we tell the media? That a girl with horns massacred a bunch of guards at a top secret base? We've passed on a story tot eh local police and they will help us look for her, quietly. I am also ordering a search of the local area by SAT units."

"That won't uncover her," Kurama said with certainty. "She's much too clever to be caught so easily."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We keep a very close eye out for any unusual or excessively violent deaths. Dicloni have a natural instinct to kill. I suspect Lucy will give herself away if we give her some time."

"Time is something you don't have a lot of, find her and quickly. I want this problem dealt with as soon as possible." He looked at him for a moment. "Do you know you are the only one she came across who she only wounded? Everyone else was killed, most of them torn apart. Why was it she let you live huh?"

"She didn't care about the other men," he answered quietly. "To her they were nothing but obstacles in her way. She knew me, and she didn't want to kill me. She wanted to make me suffer."

With that the Director grunted and stormed out.

As Kurama watched him go he thought about what Lucy had said to him…

XXXXXXXXXX

"Do you want to know how I escaped?" Lucy asked him when they were the only two left alive in the hall. "Your friend Kakuzawa has been coming into my cage every few nights for I don't know how long to fondle me and tell me how much he loves me. You see he's a male diclonius; he has small horns though he doesn't have any vectors. He imagines that the two of us are going to go somewhere and fuck like rabbits to produce a brand new diclonius race. He's deluded if he really believes I have any interest in that, but then since he freed me to fulfill that dream I guess he is that deluded. Any way since he's a diclonius shouldn't he be in a cage too? Maybe you can experiment on him."

He stared at her. He couldn't accept that his friend could be capable of such a betrayal. "I don't believe you! You're lying!"

Beneath her helmet he'd imagined Lucy's face with a triumphant grin. "Why would I lie?"

XXXXXXXXXX

_Why would she lie?_ She had to know he wouldn't take anything she said to him at face value. Would she have done it just to upset him until he could confirm the truth? He just didn't believe so; Lucy was never one to be petty. She had the ability to escape; it wasn't as though she was trying to use the information to bargain with. So what did that leave?

_I refuse to believe it, it can't be true. _But whatever he thought he would still need to investigate it. He needed to disprove it.

XXXXXXXXXX

When they finished eating Lucy had insisted on paying. Kouta had been willing to but she had grabbed the check and produced a ten thousand yen note (about $100) to pay it with. It certainly seemed she was a lot better off financially than he was.

When they'd gotten to the campus they'd both started to stroll though the greenery while admiring the old buildings. It was not a prestigious or highly ranked institution. It was actually a somewhat lower end school, and Kouta had only just managed to make it in. Even so, he was excited; being here he had real hope for the future.

As they walked along though they picked up snippets of conversation that were disturbing.

"Right there in her house…"

"… burglary, she must have surprised…"

"Her neck, like a twig, he must…"

"Excuse me," Kouta finally asked a couple of girls he and Lucy were passing. "But what are you talking about?"

The girls looked at him and automatically assumed he was walking with his girlfriend by the way Lucy was standing near him. "A freshman girl was murdered last night by some burglar. She got her neck snapped."

"That's awful!" Kouta said.

The other two girls both nodded. "I'm glad I have roommates," the same girl added. "I wouldn't feel safe living alone. Not now."

As Kouta and Lucy moved away he asked her. "Lucy, you're a freshman, where are you living in the dorms?"

She looked at him nervously. "Actually Kouta I don't have a place to stay yet."

"What?!" He came to a sudden halt."How could you move away to university without living arrangements?"

Once again she was forced to think quickly. She hated having to lie but there was no choice so long as a lie was better than the truth. "I… I… was late coming here. A… ah, old friend was going to let me stay with her, but at the last second she went to a different school and there was no time for me to find another place." There, would that do?

He looked at her with great worry. But where are you going to stay tonight? I mean you heard it's not safe. There's some crazy killer burglar out there, he could be anywhere."

_Or 'he' could be the she standing right in front of you. _"Don't worry Kouta I'll be fine, no need to be concerned about me."

He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't feel right not knowing if you were safe." He hesitated a bit. "I, ah, I happen to be the caretaker of an Inn that's no longer in business. I have nine spare rooms. Why don't you come stay with me?"

She felt her face begin to blush. "You want me to come and live with you?"

"Just until you find your own place!" He said quickly. "I promise you'll be safe and I won't try to take advantage of you!"

_I'd like it if you took advantage of me Kouta. I would like it a lot. _"All right," she said and carefully took his arm. "I appreciate your offer and I think I would feel safe staying with you."

He slowly nodded. "Then I'll show you your new home, I'm sure you'll like it."

_Yes, _she thought happily. _So long as you're there I'm sure I will._


	4. Wet clothes

She was staring at the room with its large bed and window looking over the garden. "This will be my room?" She asked.

Kouta nodded. "It is, I hope it's not too small for you."

She actually laughed. After how many years of being kept in a cage the thought that _this _could be small was funny. "No, it's wonderful!" She faced him and gave him a little bow. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here!"

Seeing that bright smile made his heart beat pick up. "Ah, it's fine, it's fine, the rooms don't have kitchens so there's a common dining area where the guests would all gather to take their meals. If… if you don't mind it'll be easiest id we… we share our meals."

She smiled at him eagerly. "Does that mean we'll be eating together?" Kouta nodded. "Great!"

Kouta was looking at this amazing red haired girl and wishing desperately that he could remember her. "There's one more really great thing about this Inn."

"What?"

With a grin he reached out and took her hand. "Come on I'll show you."

Lucy felt her face blush as he took her hand, she happily followed him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wow, what is this place?"

They were in a large room with what looked like natural for a floor. There was water filling much of the floor and the air was heavy with steam.

"This is a natural hot spring. You can come in here and enjoy it anytime you like."

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

"Sure."

"All right!" Lucy pulled off her shirt revealing she didn't believe in bras.

"What are you doing?" Kouta gasped. Despite himself he couldn't look away from her beautiful breasts.

"What?" She asked in confusion. After years of being denied clothing she did not think twice about being naked.

Realizing he was staring Kouta forced himself to turn his back to her. "I'm… I'm right here; I mean you don't want me to… to…"

"To what?" Lucy asked thoroughly confused by his weird behavior. "Didn't you just say I could use the hot spring? Do you not want me to?"

"But I can see you!"

"So?"

"Doe… doesn't it bother you having me see you naked?"

"Nope not even a little," she said and quickly stripped off the rest of her clothing. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"Well yeah of course!"

She laughed as she saw just how much this was bothering him. "It didn't bother you the last time I saw you naked."

"What?!" Out of pure instinct he turned around, only to see she was nor completely bare. His face became a deep crimson and she turned aback around. "You made that up, there's no way you've ever seen me naked!" he heard her laughing at him again. _She has a really nice laugh._

"Then how would I know about that mole on your right butt cheek?" She asked teasingly.

"No way! How… how did you see that? We were kids."

Lucy smiled wickedly at his back. "Well we were playing together in the woods one day when you suddenly stripped off your clothes and you forced me to play doctor with you." She slapped both hands over her mouth to keep from laughing.

Kouta stiffened and was horrified. "No way! I did something like that? Lucy I am so sorry!"

Unable to control herself she burst out laughing.

Hearing that Kouta's face fell. "You made that up didn't you?"

"Sorry, sorry," she brought her laughter under control. _That's another of the little joys of life I'd forgotten._

"Well could you _please_ tell me how you saw me naked?"

"We went to the zoo together the day before you left. While we were there we were playing in a stream. You splashed me and we wound up getting in a water fight and both of our clothes were drenched. We had to wait naked while they dried." She smiled fondly remembering that day. Over the years she had replayed that memory over in her head thousands of times. "It was the best day of my life Kouta, that day we spent together at the zoo."

"Really?" He asked suspiciously.

"I swear," she said. "Uhm, Kouta?"

"Yes?"

"Could we go to the zoo together again some time?" She asked. "I'll pay," she added.

"Sure," he said. "I'd be happy to. I haven't been to a zoo since," he thought about it. "Well, I guess since that time. I'm sorry I don't remember anything about it, or anything about you."

"That's all right Kouta, I'm fine with it."

"Well hopefully it will come back to me with time."

"I hope not," she muttered softly.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Well, I'll get out of here and let you enjoy the hot spring."

"Wait, you're not joining me? Come on Kouta! It will be much more fun together." She walked up to him and deliberately ran her fingers down his spine making him shiver. "Please? I'll scrub your back if you want."

"I… I… should go." Keeping his back to her he began to walk around the edge of the spring towards the door. Without any warning something seemed to catch his ankles and trip him.

"Yaaaaah!" he went face first into the steamy water.

"Oh! So you did want to join me?" Lucy eagerly jumped into the water beside him.

"Uh, no," splashing about a bit he finally sat up. His clothes were of course drenched. "Something tripped me I swear, I didn't mean to fall in."

"Sure you didn't," Lucy answered. "Well you're all ready wet so you may as well join me now." She began tugging at his pants. "Here let me help you get those wet clothes off."

"Hey!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurama was in one of the control rooms in one of the labs. Despite having both arms and legs in casts he was at work. Sitting in a wheel chair he carefully leaned forward he would work his fingers but getting his hand over the proper place while his arm was in a cast was difficult. Difficult or not he managed it. He was replaying a section of security tape from two months ago. The time stamp on the tape read 2:14 a.m. As he watched he saw Kakuzawa's car pull up to the main gate.

"_Your friend Kakuzawa has been coming into my cage every few nights for I don't know how long…"_

That was what Lucy had said. He had thought to disprove everything she had claimed by checking the records of all those who entered and left the base. Kakuzawa had stopped working here regularly five years ago, preferring the more comfortable route of being a university professor and doing independent research on the vaccine that was the ultimate point to all of this.

Kurama had been sure to find that his friend had not been here in months, if not years.

Instead he'd found out the opposite. Every person who entered or left the base was required to sign in or out. There were no exceptions. He'd had the most recent log books sent to him so he could look them over. And to his bitter disappointment he'd found his friend's signature every few pages. He's been coming in during the early morning hours once or twice a week for at least six months.

Not satisfied with that he'd gone and checked the surveillance cameras.

Reaching over he pressed down a yellow button and another image came up. It was of his friend, clear as day, logging in. The time stamp read 2:18. He'd also found that Kakuzawa had logged in on the night that Lucy escaped. Interestingly though, he hadn't logged back out.

_What have you been up to Kakuzawa?_ He thought. He would need more evidence to be one hundred percent sure. But he was now convinced that what Lucy had said was the truth. _Was everything she said true?_

"_You see he's a male diclonius; he has small horns though he doesn't have any vectors."_

So far as he knew there were no male diclonius. Could one really have been in this project from the start? And what about his father the Director who was in charge? If he was a diclonius then didn't that mean everything they had been doing had been compromised from the start? Were they really trying to develop a vaccine to prevent dicloni from being born? Or was their goal something else?

To protect the human race from the threat of the diclonius he had committed horrendous crimes, similar to the worst war crimes the Nazis had committed in their death camps. And he had done so believing he was right. Humanity had to be safeguarded whatever the cost. If his old friend and the Director were threats then he would have to deal with them too. Though he would have to do so very carefully.

Nothing less than the fate of humanity was at stake.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kouta was in the kitchen following his relaxing soak in the hot spring. He had on a white robe with the words, 'Maple Inn' stamped across the back. He was no master chef but he really didn't feel like going out to get take out or paying for delivery. He had some rice boiling and some meat coking in the oven, it was not exactly gourmet meal but he was sure it would be o.k.

"What smells so good?" A woman's voice called from the dining room.

The voice however was not Lucy's. "Yuka!" He ran out of the kitchen to see his cousin taking off her coat and placing a paper bag on the table. "Yuka what are you doing here?"

"Oh I just wanted to see how you were settling in and I made something for us to eat. But it smells like you have dinner already cooking. Is there enough for two?"

"Ah, actually…"

The door to the dining room opened. Wearing a matching robe to Kouta's Lucy strolled in, a towel wrapped around her wet hair and horns. "Is dinner ready yet Kouta? I'm starving."

The two girls noticed each other and shared matching looks of surprise, followed by similar looks of outrage. Pointing to one another they turned to Kouta and said, "**Who is she?"**

Kouta shut his eyes and knew this was going to be difficult.


	5. Serious words

Yuka was pacing back and forth furiously while Kouta and Lucy were both sitting at the dinner table. Lucy had gone back to her room to change her clothes and was now in a cotton blouse in jeans and a ball cap. Lucy was watching the girl and regretting she couldn't do anything while Kouta was present.

But accidents could happen.

Yuka suddenly stopped pacing and turned to face them both. "Let me see if I've got this straight," she said. "You suddenly met this girl who told you, you and she used to be close friends while you were kids. Even though you have no memory of her you believe that and have invited her to _come live with you_?! Kouta what is wrong with you?! This girl is probably some sort of con artist! What were you thinking?"

"But she knew my name as soon as she saw me," he said defensively. "And she knew I came here as a kid for the summer."

"Baka! That doesn't prove anything," she snapped. "It's not hard to find out someone's name especially for a con artist. And lots of people come here for the summers. She could have just guessed that." She turned an openly accusing glare on Lucy. "Can you offer any other proof you really knew him?"

Lucy glanced at Kouta. "Do you still draw? When I knew you, you loved to take your sketch book into the woods and draw scenery. You never drew people though."

Kouta looked a bit embarrassed. "I… I haven't drawn in years."

Lucy reached over and placed her hand over his. "You should, you are very talented Kouta!"

Yukari noticed the casual way she reached out and touched him. She also noticed the way Kouta seemed to respond to it. _What the hell is going on here? He doesn't even know her! _

"Anything else?" Yuka asked suspiciously.

Lucy thought for a moment. "He used to have a music box. It played a sweet sad tune that I have never forgotten. La, la, laaaa, la…" She began to hum the tune.

Kouta stiffened as a sudden image came into his mind.

Sunset, and he was with someone at the top of those stairs overlooking the sea. He could hear a little girl's voice humming that very same song. For some reason he could not understand he felt the sudden urge to cry.

Lucy noticed his reaction and stopped. "Is something wrong Kouta?"

"What? No, no, nothing I… I was just remembering that tune. I still have the music box and I brought it with me."

"Well that explains it then," Yuka said. "She probably heard it since she's been here."

Kouta shook his head. "I haven't unpacked it yet. Besides, even if she had heard it there's no way she could know I had it as a child."

"Well… I suppose that's true, but this is still suspicious. After all, what kind of girl goes to attend university without having a place to stay?"

"I already explained that," Lucy said. "I was relying on a friend and she changed her plans at the last minute."

"How convenient," Yuka said dryly.

"Yuka I believe her and there's no way I'll leave her without a place to stay. Especially not with a killer on the loose." He stood up. "Now I'm going to get the food before it starts to get cold. Lucy can stay here until she finds a place."

"Why do I get the feeling it'll take her quite awhile?"

"Yuka, please don't be rude to Lucy." He said as he went into the kitchen.

Yuka looked at the other girl and spoke in a low voice that Kouta wouldn't hear. "You may have my cousin fooled but not me. Your whole story sounds like something from a third rate manga. What are you after? If it's money you may as well leave right now, my cousin doesn't have any."

"I don't want money," Lucy said. "All I want is to be with him." Lucy stared back at her with her red eyes. This girl was starting to really annoy her. "You know I remember you from back then."

Yuka smiled triumphantly. "There! You've slipped up because I _know_ we've never met before."

"I didn't say we'd met, I only said I remembered you." Lucy pointed out. "I saw you with Kouta at the festival on his last night here. You were dressed in a white kimono and you were crying about something to him." Lucy saw her eyes widen in disbelief. "I'm right aren't I? You were the cousin he went to the festival with."

"I still don't trust you or your story," Yuka said but did not deny her claim.

"Does Kouta know you care about him?"

"Of course he knows! We're cousins after all."

"But you like him as more than a cousin though don't you?"

"That… that's none of your business."

"Let me tell you something that you should pay very close attention to," Lucy said in a grave tone as her red eyes seemed to pierce Yuka's flesh. "I have been in love with Kouta since I was a little girl. He is the _only _one for me. I want to be with him forever and I'll do anything I have to do to make that happen. If you get between us I'll get rid of you."

"Are you threatening me?" Yuka growled.

"Take my words however you want."

Kouta came back from the kitchen with a tray of food and could feel the tension between the two girls.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"I don't think I'll be staying here to eat. However," Yukari announced. "I'll be moving in tomorrow. I'll take the room next to hers."

"You're moving in?"

"That's right Kouta; _someone _has to watch out for you if you won't do it for yourself." As she went to go she felt a hand grab her ankle and she fell.

"Yuka! Are you all right?" Kouta hurried over to her side.

Lucy remained seated where she was. "Kind of clumsy aren't you? I bet you have lots of accidents."

Kouta helped his cousin up, fortunately she wasn't hurt. Yuka immediately sent the other girl an accusing glare. "You tripped me!"

"How long do you think my legs are?" Lucy replied. "How could I trip you all the way over there?"

"She's right Yuka," Kouta said softly. "Please don't try to blame Lucy for things that are not her fault."

"But…" Yuka could see that there was no way Lucy could have tripped her while sitting on the other end of the table. But she had _felt _someone grab her. "Oh fine, I'll see you tomorrow. And I'll need you to help me move." She quickly left the bewildering scene. She had actually come here hoping to share a nice quiet dinner with him and for them to grow a little closer. Now she felt as though she had been driven off.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Does your cousin usually blame other people for her own problems?" Lucy asked once Yuka was gone.

"I'm really sorry about that," Kouta said. "I haven't seen her in a long time so I don't know what she's like."

Lucy smiled at him easily. "No problem Kouta, I just hope she doesn't start blaming me for whatever goes wrong once she moves in here."

The next morning the two of them walked to the university together, separating one they arrived. Kouta went to his first class while Lucy had another destination in mind.

Asking around she was soon was headed to the research building where some of the professors kept their offices and conducted their research.

It was time for her to talk to Kakuzawa again.


	6. The goddess

"Excuse me?"

Kakuzawa's research assistant looked up from her microscope. She saw a very pretty young woman standing at the door. She was dressed in a very cute lemon yellow outfit with ribbons in her hair.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Is Dr. Kakuzawa here?"

The lab assistant frowned. The research they were doing was incredibly important, though you would never guess that by the meager funds they received. She hated having to waste her time dealing with clueless students. Kakuzawa taught a couple classes here, but it was only so he could have access to the college facilities. "Kakuzawa doesn't meet students here; this is where he conducts his research. He has an office in the administration building where you can see him. His office hours are listed on his syllabus."

"Is he here?" The pretty girl asked as she entered the lab and shut the door behind her. "It's very important I see him."

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

Another door in the lab opened and a man in a lab coat stuck his head out. "Is something…" he spotted the girl and his jaw dropped. "Lucy! What happened to you? I've been so worried about you!"

The lab assistant looked at her boss in surprise. He was an easy going guy who loved going out to drink and relax, but she had never seen him with a girl in the five years she had known him. He certainly hadn't seemed the sort to be fooling around with a young college student. "Do you know her doctor?"

The man smiled and nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, she's an old friend of my family's."

Lucy smiled at him mischievously. "Friend? Is that all I am?"

Kakuzawa's assistant raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Let's talk in my office," Kakuzawa said.

"Fine," Lucy said and strolled over to him and into his cramped office. There was a desk with a computer and stacks and stacks of papers on it. There was a single office chair, the rest of the room seemed to be filled with book shelves and stacks of books. There wasn't much free room.

Never the less the second the door was shut he eagerly wrapped his arms around her. "Lucy! Where have you been? I waited all night but you never came!"

"Let go of me."

"What?"

"I _said _let go!" Her vectors grabbed his arms, roughly pulled them down and shoved him back into a book case. "I'm not a prisoner any more so don't think you can still just use me."

He stared at her in disbelief. "What… what are you talking about? I've never used you, I love you!"

She smiled at him and began to laugh. "Love? Is that what you call it? Grabbing me, fondling me, treating me like your own private whore. Do you really think that's love? Love is caring for someone else unconditionally, wanting their happiness above everything else, even your own."

"But that's exactly how I feel about you! We can be together now and be happy. I've got it all planned! We can go to America and vanish, I have money and I've made all the arrangements. Together we can live a happy life and begin creating a new and more powerful dicloni race."

"Idiot! Do you think I care about that? To hell with the Dicloni race. I wish none of us had ever existed, myself included."

Kakuzawa stared at her not understanding. "What are you talking about Lucy? How can you say that? Our dream…"

"That was your dream baka," she said sharply. "It was never mine. I have my own dreams, and they don't include you."

"I… I don't understand."

"You really are an idiot," she muttered. "Fine I'll spell it out for you. I never loved you, I've never even liked you, you're one step up from a rapist. I only let you do those things to me so you would help me escape. Once I was free I never wanted to see you again. But some things have happened and I need your help."

"You used me?"

She began to laugh again. "Don't sound so hurt, you got something out of it didn't you? We used each other, just leave it at that."

Kakuzawa's fists tightened as the truth finally began to dawn on him. Since he had started his 'relationship' with her he really had fallen in love with her. No, it was more than ordinary love. He had _worshipped _her. Her beauty, her strength, her will to survive, in every way she had surpassed anything he could have hoped for. She was his perfect ideal, the goddess of the Dicloni. Together the two of them could have changed the world and bred a new race that would inherit this wicked earth and wipe clean all the sins of humanity. He would have done _anything_ for her.

When she had not come to him that night he'd been consumed by fear that something had gone wrong and she had been killed. But once he learned she had indeed escaped he had been left wondering how she could have missed him. He had assumed that she had been desperate to find him so he could whisk her away to safety. He had cursed himself thinking his instructions hadn't been clear enough. The image of a weary Lucy swimming in the sea desperately searching the coast for him had haunted his sleep. All he had been able to think about was her and their new life together.

And now here she was laughing at him and all his aspirations. Ridiculing everything he had lived for since their first meeting.

"You bitch," he said furiously and took a step towards her.

Lucy smiled. "I guess you're finally seeing the truth. That's good."

He felt a hand wrap around his neck and grip it painfully. He was shoved into the bookshelf again and held firmly in place, unable to breathe.

"Now let me give you some more reality," she said. "I don't really care about whether or not I kill you, but I need your help. So you're going to help me with whatever I ask. Understand?"

Unable to speak he nodded his head desperately. The pressure around his throat suddenly released.

"Before I escaped you said you'd made me a state i.d. and a passport, I want them. Also I want you to enroll me as a student here."

"A stu… student?" He gasped. "You can't be thinking of staying here! The facility is right out in the bay."

"I know that," she said coldly. "But I have my reasons for staying here for now."

"If they catch you they'll interrogate you! If my father finds out about this he'll kill me!"

"Don't worry about that," she said with a grin. "If you don't do as I say I'll kill you right now."

Massaging his neck he didn't doubt her. He went to his desk and took out a sealed manila envelope and handed it to her. Tearing it open she found a passport and an i.d. Both had pictures of her face without her horns.

_So that's what I would have looked like if I had been normal. _Two little horns, such small things to destroy so many lives and bring so much hardship. She saw the name on the two documents.

"My name is Megami Lucy? My last name is goddess?" She shook her head. "You've always had such grand aspirations haven't you? What, you were going to father a new race with a goddess?" She laughed at him again. "I suppose you thought of yourself as a god didn't you?"

_Yes, _he thought. "It seemed like a good name, and no one in America would have known what it meant."

"Well I suppose after being a slave being a goddess isn't the worst thing," she reached into her purse and produced a class schedule. "Put me in these classes."

He took the paper from her. The classes were the sort a lot of incoming freshmen who were still undeclared might take. He also noted she would be in his 9:30 class. "I'll have to create a false student file for you in order to have you register, it won't be easy."

"I don't care if it's easy of hard, just take care of it. And make sure I am in _these_ classes."

"Why? What's so special about them?"

"Nothing," she said. "Oh and when you see me in your class, _don't _act like you know me."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kouta!"

Kouta and Yuka both looked up from their seats.

"Lucy! Do you have this class too?" Kouta asked.

_What is she doing here? _Yuka thought with annoyance. This was the only class she and Kouta shared and she'd been hoping to get a little of his attention.

"Yes I do!" She said happily as she sat down in the seat next to him. "In fact I've decided to try and take the same class schedule as you Kouta! That way we can help each other study."

"Really Lucy? That's great." Kouta said.

"Yeah, great," Yuka said from the seat on the other side of him. _I better hurry up and move in to keep an eye on her._

XXXXXXXXXX

Entering the classroom Kakuzawa scanned the seats and quickly spotted her. He was very surprised to see she was having an animated conversation with the boy sitting next to her. He also noticed that she had placed a hand on his arm.

_What is this? She's only been free two days. _How could she be so comfortable with someone she'd only known for such a short period of time while being so contemptuous of the person who had risked everything for her?

He would definitely learn the students name and check up on him. Anything that touched his goddess was very important to him.


	7. Kiss

Returning to the Inn Lucy spotted a small moving van and a pile of boxes outside one of the other rooms. _So she really is moving in here. _Lucy wanted to tear the presumptuous little girl apart. The only thing that held her back was the fear of how that would affect Kouta. Kami or fate or just plain random chance had given her this chance, she just _couldn't _waste it.

Going into her room she looked over the clothes she had available and tried to decide what she would wear tomorrow. Her selection was limited to the handful of outfits she'd been able to stuff into a back pack. _I need to buy more clothes, and make up! I need to buy make up too! _Attending class today she had noticed how most of the other girls wore make up, at the very least they had lipstick. She was also sure that Kouta would notice if she started wearing the same clothes over and over again every day.

She went into the closet and pulled up the corner of the rug to reveal the envelope with money and a plastic bag with some gold earrings and necklaces. She counted up her money; 494,211 yen ($4,942.11) was that a lot? She didn't want to sell the jewelry so soon after stealing it. Could she afford clothes and make up and oh yeah, books for her classes. That was another worry she hadn't thought of. She had been totally lost in every one of her classes. Not surprising given that before today she hadn't been in a classroom in nine years. How was she going to manage passing her classes? What would Kouta think if she failed? She could get Kakuzawa to pass her but what about the other classes?

She looked at her reflection in the mirror above her dresser. She had her beret on so she didn't have to look at the horns she hated so. Her hair looked a little frayed and she had no makeup on and her clothes were wrinkled. How could she compare to other girls? Not only Yuka but all the other coeds who surrounded Kouta in every class. They'd had normal lives, they all had lots of clothes, they all knew how to put on makeup properly so they didn't look like clowns. And they would all be a lot smarter than her. _How can I even compete? _

There was a knock at her door. "Can I come in?" Kouta called.

"Oh, sure Kouta." She quickly fluffed her clothes a little.

He slid open the door and looked in on her. Despite seeing him all day her heart still skipped a beat top have him looking at her. Even just this was a dream come true.

"Since Yuka is busy moving in I thought I would just order in tonight. How do you feel about pizza?"

"That's fine Kouta," she said. "We'll be eating together right?"

He nodded. "All three of us."

She tried to laugh but it came out a little hollow. "Well as long as I get to eat with _you _that's fine."

She saw him blush just a little. "I… I hope you're not upset about Yuka. Even though she's kind of pushing things moving in like this you can understand it."

"No I can't," Lucy said.

"Well we're cousins and she's worried something might happen," he told her.

"Yes she thinks I might rob you or something."

"Heh, actually she's probably more afraid that I might do something to you." Kouta said, his blush getting a little darker.

"Oh, like what?" This sounded kind of interesting.

"Well, I am a guy, and you are a really beautiful woman," he said.

"I… I am?" Her heart beat faster. "Do you think that Kouta? Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Well of course I do! You're not only beautiful but I've seen you body and… and well…" He struggled trying to complete the thought.

"You'd like to do things with my body?" After her experiences with Kakuzawa she was technically a virgin but a long way from innocent.

"What?! No I mean I wouldn't try anything like that! I mean even if you are amazing I wouldn't do something like that."

"I wouldn't mind," she said quietly.

He stared at her. "What?"

She slowly approached him. "I… I wouldn't mind, not if it was you Kouta," she quietly slid the door shut. Yuka was right next door but they had at least a momentary privacy. "When we were children I fell in love with you," she told him. "You… you were my first love." _My only love!!_

"I'm so sorry I can't remember that," he told her honestly. "I would like to know what I felt back then."

"We kissed," Lucy blurted out. "You were my first kiss." That was a lie. They never had kissed. She _still_ had never kissed. She didn't know why she'd said that, some sudden impulse had made her.

Hearing that brought a smile to Koua's lips. "Then I _really _wish I could remember that time. I hadn't kissed before that summer so it would have been my first kiss too. That's something I'd like to remember."

"Would, would you like to kiss me now then?" She could feel her cheeks getting hot and her heart _really_ starting to beat fast. "You know, just to see what it was like? We can pretend it's our first kiss all over again."

Kouta looked at her not believing this amazing girl was saying something like this. His eyes drifted to her soft full lips. Catching his breath he finally answered. "Okay, just… just to see what it was like then."

She carefully nodded and prayed she didn't look as scared as she felt. "Just to see what it was like then."

She took a cautious half step forward and leaned up. She felt his hands carefully take hold around her hips. He closed his eyes and lowered his face, gently touching her lips with his. It was a warm sweet innocent kiss, their lips touching and slowly pressing together. It was indeed what a first kiss between a little boy and girl might be like.

Her eyes were closed and she put her hands on his shoulders. _Kouta…_

When he slowly separated his lips from her they both opened their eyes and looked at one another. His hands remained on her and hers remained on him. Looking into each other's eyes they could see a reflection of the simple joy they were feeling.

In silent agreement he leaned down and kissed her again. This kiss just a little more passionate, a little less unsure. She could feel his hands slip around to her back and she stepped forward to press her chest up against his. She dug her fingers into his shoulder a bit adding a little more pressure, adding a little more friction.

When their second kiss ended they were looking into each other's eyes again and both of them were feeling more sure of what the other wanted.

"Kouta do you…"

"Kouta! Where are you?!" Yuka's voice shouted. "I need to get the truck unloaded and returned by eight or I have to pay for another day!"

Kouta suddenly let go of her and stepped back as though he'd been caught in the act. "I… I need to help Yuka, I'll see you at dinner." He quickly slid out the door before she could try and persuade him to stay.

At that moment if Yuka had been in front of her Lucy would have cheerfully torn the girl into pieces.

Standing there she slowly ran a finger over her lips. _Kouta kissed me. _She thought in amazement. _Kouta thinks I'm beautiful. _She'd known that Kakuzawa considered her a goddess but what that animal thought didn't matter to her at all.

Despite the unfortunate interruption she was filled with renewed hope. So what if she didn't have make up and lots of clothes? Kouta thought she was beautiful! Kouta had kissed her! And they were living in the same place and attending all of the same classes. She would definitely be able to make him love her!

"Kouta where were you? I need help now grab that box over there!" Yuka's annoying voice drifted in.

"And if that damn cousin gets in the way she'll have an accident," Lucy said in a harsh whisper.


	8. A little accident

She was staring at the books that were open in front of her.

2y + 4x – 32 = y + 28

The Shogunate era began with the…

The philosophy of Confucianism is based on…

Lucy let out a groan and put her head down. "This makes no sense at all! I don't understand any of this!" During her time as a homeless orphan and as a rat trapped in a cage she had feared a number of things. She had never once imagined being afraid of a bunch of tests. She'd been in school a month now and her first test would be next week with two more the week after. She had another test next week in Kakuzawa's class too but that one didn't matter, she would make him give her the answers beforehand so she could help Kouta.

Kouta was sitting next to her helping her study. He placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Lucy, I'm glad to help and I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm not much of a student either but I'm sure together we'll be okay."

She lifted her head and sent him a grateful smile. "Thanks Kouta." She was also glad for the feel of his hand on her shoulder.

Ever since kissing him she'd longed to do it again. But Kouta never made the first move, and while she wasn't shy she was scared of coming off as too aggressive. (Did men like aggressive women?) She watched some dramas on t.v. and listened in when she heard girls talking. The impression she got was that only 'sluts' or 'bitches' ever made the first move. She didn't want Kouta seeing her that way so she was careful to fight back the urge to just grab him and start kissing him.

She _had _noticed that he touched her more now. When they were walking from class to class he would sometimes reach out and take her hand. That always made her heart race and filled her with a warm feeling. At dinner and at home he would put a hand on her shoulder or lightly brush her arm. A couple times he had placed his hand on her knee where it was out of sight.

Did he have any idea at all what the feel of his hand on her leg _did_ to her? Did he understand how much she loved being touched by him and how she longed for more? Of course there was another obstacle in the way…

"How did you get into college anyway? I mean what did they teach you in your High School?" Yuka asked. Her eyes focused on Kouta's hand. He noticed and removed it from Lucy's shoulder.

"I'm sorry if I'm not brilliant like you Yuka," Lucy said. "I guess I'm just a mediocre student like Kouta is." As usual Lucy was feeling annoyed with the girl. Things would be so much easier if she weren't always in the way.

"That's true," Kouta noted. Then turned a curious eye to his cousin. "Hey Yuka, why did you come to this school? With your grades you could have passed the entrance exam to almost any university in the country."

Looking embarrassed she blushed as she tried to answer. "That's uh, well it's… it's because I grew up here of course! I just feel really comfortable living here and didn't want to move away."

Kouta nodded, accepting that.

"It wouldn't have been anything _else _would it?" Lucy asked knowingly.

Yuka glared at her. "What else could it be?"

Lucy grinned but said nothing more. She knew Yuka harbored romantic feelings for her cousin. Kouta had no idea and saw her only as family. Lucy certainly wasn't about to clue him in either.

The two girls openly stared one another down. Kouta looked at them and wondered what had happened to spoil the mood of their studying session. "Uh, it's getting kind if late, maybe we should call it a night?"

Both girls readily agreed. As Yuka gathered her books she headed toward the door to go back to her room. Something grabbed her leg and she fell painfully tot eh floor spilling her books and notes. "Ow!" She cried out and grabbed her right ankle.

"Yuka!" Kouta came over to her. "Are you all right?"

"My ankle!" She cried clutching at it. She turned a hateful look on Lucy who was still seated at the small table. "You tripped me! I felt you grab my leg!"

Lucy sent Kouta an exasperated glance and he gave a slightly weary nod. "Yuka," he said patiently. "She was sitting down at the other end of the table. There's no way she could have tripped you." His cousin was surprisingly clumsy; she kept falling down all the time.

"You should stop blaming me for your own accidents," Lucy told her.

"You tripped me!" She yelled. "I **felt** you do it!"

"Yuka…" Kouta began.

"Shut up!" She yelled at him as she began to cry. "I know you don't believe me! I know whose side you're going to take!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side," he said trying to sound supportive. "But it's true there's no way she could have done it."

Yuka looked angry and frustrated beyond words. She _knew _Lucy had done this to her, knew she had caused all of her falls. She had no idea how she was doing it but she knew for certain that she was. But no matter what she said she couldn't get Kouta to believe her.

"It really hurts," she said tearfully. "I think I need to see a doctor."

"All right," Kouta said and got up. "I'll call a cab and we'll go to the emergency room." He left to use the house phone.

Lucy remained where she was. She hadn't bothered to get up or mouth any pointless words of sympathy. With Kouta gone she took the opportunity to speak to Yuka alone.

"You should move out," she said in a low voice. "Or your next accident may be a lot more serious."

Yuka glared. "Is that a threat?"

"How could it be a threat when I'm not responsible?" She asked calmly. "I'm just saying you seem to have a lot of bad luck living here and the longer you stay the worse your luck will get."

"I won't leave you alone with Kouta," Yuka said angrily.

_It's your funeral then, _Lucy thought.

Kouta returned. "All right I've called the cab company and one should be here in about ten minutes. I'll carry you."

Carefully picking her up he took her out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kakuzawa entered the research facility he hadn't been back to since the night of Lucy's escape. "What was so important you made me come over so late at night?"

Kurama was in a wheelchair. Both his legs were still in casts as was his left arm. His right one was free though and it allowed him to work the control of his electric wheelchair. "We've captured Lucy." He said.

Kurama watched closely and saw the panic in Kakuzawa's face. He covered it up quickly, but it had been clear. Had his old friend been innocent he would have been relieved to know she was back and no longer a threat to the general population. This was the last piece of evidence he needed. Though it saddened him Kurama had no choice but to pass judgment.

"That… that's great!" Kakuzawa said. "Has she said anything about how she escaped or what she's been doing since?"

"No, she's been unconscious since her capture," Kurama told him. "That's part of why I wanted you down here. I want your help with the interrogation."

Kakuzawa nodded and appeared thoughtful. "You know, I have an idea. Being captured and brought back here must be traumatic. Maybe we could try to use this opportunity to build some trust for the future. Why don't you let me talk to her alone first, just one to one, up close and personal? No cameras or microphones."

Kurama shook his head. "That's too dangerous, even with restraints."

"I think we would get much better results this way then just threatening her the way we normally do." Kakuzawa said insistently. "We need her to tell us everything she knows, if we try to drag it out of her she'll try to hide as much as she can. Let's try the carrot first; we can always use the stick later if we have to."

Kurama considered it. "I'll only agree to this if you sign consent forms and make a video statement tot eh effect. If anything goes wrong I don't want your father blaming me."

"Fine, fine," Kakuzawa said immediately. Lucy had his life in her hands. If she told them what he'd done or if they found out she'd been in his class he was a dead man. His only hope was to talk to her and convince her to keep it all secret while he got rid of all the evidence showing she had ever been a student at the university. He could promise to help her escape again, anything if it convinced her to hide his involvement.

XXXXXXXXXX

They were standing outside a heavy steel door. It was only the two of them, Kurama had dismissed the guards and there was no staff up in the control room. "The monitoring devices have all been turned off, once you go in you will be on your own with her. Are you sure about this?"

Kakuzawa nodded. "I'm sure."

With his good arm he reached up and pulled down a lever. The metal doors slowly slid open. "Good luck," Kurama said quietly.

"Thanks, and thanks for letting me do this. You're a good friend." Kakuzawa told him.

Kurama looked up at him from his chair. "You better get going; I'll have to shut the door behind you once you enter."

Kakuzawa nodded again, that was standard operating procedure. He entered the room to find the lights dim. This was also normal when the room was in 'night mode.' It helped the test subjects sleep and also kept them more docile. Even with the low lights he could see a wire cage with a figure suspended there in a straight jacket with a metal helmet on her head.

Behind him the metal doors slid shut.

He hurried over to the edge of the cage that marked the limit of where her vectors could reach.

"Lucy," he whispered. Even with the microphones turned off he naturally wanted to keep this as quiet as possible.

He saw her head turn towards him, but she offered no response.

"Lucy, I don't know what happened but I need you to keep everything between us a secret. If you do that I'll help you escape again."

She continued to look at him without responding.

"Lucy please, you know there's no one else here who can help you, if I'm caught they'll kill me and where will you be then?"

She said nothing.

_Is she playing a game with me? _He was desperate and needed to convince her. He stepped into the cage.

"Lucy… gack!"

As soon as he was within her range he felt hands grab him and roughly yank him up into the air.

"Lucy what are you doing?!" he cried.

"Who's Lucy?" A girl's voice asked.

XXXXXXXXXX

The thick steel walls and doors were designed to not only hold their prisoners inside but to deaden any sound as well. Even so Kurama heard the faint echo of a single scream. Test subject number 16 was of an age and body type similar to Lucy's; with the low light it would have been impossible to tell the difference.

He turned his wheelchair away from the cell door and slowly motored down the hall. He would have to contact the Director and tell him about his son's tragic accident. Fortunately he had proof it had all been Kakuzawa's idea.


	9. The truth at last

As the class began the students were surprised to see a young man with a brown business suit standing behind the desk where Professor Kakuzawa always stood.

"If I could have your attention please," he spoke in a sharp businesslike tone. "I am professor Yagami and will be taking over the instruction of this class for the rest of the semester."

This raised a stir among the students.

"What happened to professor Kakuzawa?" One of them asked.

"I am afraid he has turned in his resignation," Yagami told them with an unhappy look. "Apparently he received a high paying job offer from a foreign research firm and decided to accept it. It would have been nice if he'd have waited until the end of the semester, but such was not the case. Now, all of you open your books to chapter 4 and we'll do a review for the upcoming test."

"That's too bad, I kind of liked the old teacher," Kouta said. "You liked him too, right Lucy?"

"What?" She looked a bit startled.

"Is something wrong?" Yuka asked suspiciously.

"No, what could be wrong?" Lucy said with a weak grin.

During the rest of the class period she pretended to listen and take notes. Her mind though was a million miles away. If Kakuzawa was gone it wasn't because he took another job. It could only be because he was dead. And if anyone went through his computer files…

When class ended Lucy gave Kouta an excuse and headed off on her own.

XXXXXXXXXX

When she went to Kakuzawa's office she found the door locked. Looking about she made sure there was no one about, then carefully forced it open with a vector. She snuck in and looked around. What she saw made her heart sink.

The office was bare. When she'd come here before it had been a mess with papers and folders lying in piles everywhere. Now there was nothing here but the desk and an office chair. All the papers, the computer, and even the file cabinets were gone. She was willing to bet that in his apartment things had also been packed up.

All of a sudden the upcoming tests didn't worry her any more.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I am agreeing to perform the interrogation of the diclonius of my own free will, and should anything occur I want it known that my good friend Kurama tried to talk me out of it."

"Hmph," the director shut off the tape. "I suppose I can't blame you for my son's death. He really was an idiot wasn't he?"

"He was a friend of mine and an excellent scientist and researcher," Kurama said and left it at that.

The Director sent him a suspicious glance. "You don't seem too disturbed by his rather violent death."

"Neither do you," Kurama replied.

"Feh, my son was _always _a complete fool; it's hardly surprising that he would die a fool's death." His eyes narrowed a bit as he continued looking at the man in the wheelchair. "Though I do wonder why he would want to talk so… intimately with this particular diclonius."

"Who knows?" Kurama replied. "He didn't give me any reason, he just showed up pleading he be allowed to speak to her without any monitoring. I was against the notion and only agreed when he said he would leave evidence making it clear it was wholly his idea."

"Still, even for a fool it was rather reckless. It was almost suicidal in fact."

Kurama shrugged. "Perhaps it was, maybe the idea of Lucy being out there causing death and destruction was more than he could bear. It does happen sometimes."

They both knew that was true. Having to conduct such brutal experiments on other living beings, even if they weren't human took its toll. It was more than some people could stand after awhile. Since the time Kurama had started working there he'd known several researchers who had killed themselves. The methods varied with poison, asphyxiation, hanging, and leaping off a bridge all having been used. Suicide by diclonius didn't seem out of the question.

"We interrogated test subject 16 before terminating her, she claimed not to know the reason he approached her. She did mention him calling her 'Lucy' though. Perhaps it was guilt."

"I doubt it from _my _son," the Director said. "But whatever the reason the project continues. He wasn't that involved anymore so his death shouldn't affect anything." That was all the Director had to say on the matter.

Kurama wasn't surprised; the Director had never shown any great attachment to his son and had always cared far more about the project than anything else.

_Which makes only more sense given he and his son were both Dicloni, _Kurumu thought. Once the Director had gone Shirakawa entered his office. "I've started going through the confiscated computer files and I have a couple people going through his paper records. There's a lot of both, it may take a few days to go through all of it."

"Please do so as quickly and thoroughly as possible," Kurama told her. "I am convinced he aided her escape, there's a good chance he knew her whereabouts afterward. The key to finding her may well be in those files."

XXXXXXXXXX

Following dinner Kouta helped Yuka to her room. Her ankle was in a cast and so she wasn't all that mobile.

When he returned to the main part of the Inn to clean up he found Lucy standing there staring at an old photo.

"Are you all right? You've been kind of quiet all day today. You're not feeling sick are you?" he was startled at the sad expression on her face as he approached. "What's wrong?"

She didn't answer immediately, instead focusing on the photo. It was of a man with his two children. The boy was obviously Kouta.

"This is you with your dad and sister Kanae."

He nodded. "That's right; this was taken that summer nine years ago. It's the last picture I have of them." He looked at her curiously. "Did you ever meet them? My dad and my sister?"

"Yes," she answered quietly. "I met them on the train as you were all leaving."

"That's right; you told me that you were on the train. Did you get to know Kanae very well? She was a really good girl. It was such a tragedy that she got sick."

Lucy slowly turned to him and removed the beret she always kept on, even when they were alone. She hated her horns; they represented everything that had made her life such a horror. She hid them away and tried to pretend they didn't exist.

_But it's pointless to hide the things we can't undo, _she thought sadly.

"Kouta, for a very long time I have wanted to apologize to you for the things I did. When I met you again and you told me you didn't remember me I thought it meant I could have a fresh start with you, but that's impossible the way things are. The fresh start is nothing but a lie because of the guilt I still carry. It will always be a lie until I can give you a real apology and you can forgive me." She shut her eyes. "_If_ you forgive me."

He looked at her worriedly. "Lucy I've already told you that you being mad at me about the festival isn't…"

"That's not the reason I need to apologize to you Kouta," she told him. "That was just one more lie, like me being a student or us having kissed as children. I've been doing nothing but telling you one lie after another. Yuka was right about that at least, I am a liar. I always wanted to find you again and tell you the truth and beg forgiveness. Even if you didn't give it to me I knew I had to do at least that much. And if you would up hating me, well it would be what I deserve."

"Lucy! Stop talking like this! You're not making any sense!" He put both hands on her shoulders looking at her worriedly. "I don't know what is going on, but I know this, that I like you Lucy. I really like you! Whatever it was that happened in the past doesn't matter! Whatever it was I forgive you so please stop worrying about it."

She looked up into his kind face. Oh how she wanted to stop now. How she wanted to ask him to hold her and kiss her again.

"Kouta," she spoke slowly. "Your sister didn't die of an illness and your father didn't die in an accident. Those are lies you told yourself to deal with the horror of what really happened." She saw him flinch and felt his hands start to tremble.

"Wha… what do you mean?" He was remembering something. He was remembering the train and a little girl with horns looking at him. For some reason he didn't understand his heartbeat was rising and he was feeling afraid.

"Kouta," she said in a calm detached voice. "I killed them."


	10. The Apology

"Take it back!" A nine year old Kouta yelled at his little sister. He had just slapped her for claiming his friend was about to kill them. "Take it back or I'll hate you! I'll hate you forever!"

She looked at him with a mix of fear but growing hurt. "Brother don't hate me! I…"

And before his eyes Kanae was ripped in half. Her blood splashing all over him. He stood there shaking, her warm blood dripping off of him, unable to move, unable to even scream. He locked onto her now lifeless eyes; they held the tears of his last words to her. That was when he finally screamed, a wordless cry of anguish and pain.

"What's going on…" His father had been coming over to see what the commotion was about. Before he even understood there was danger his head was torn from his body.

Kouta turned to see his dad also just lying there in a pool of blood. It was a small mercy that at least he couldn't see his father's face. "Dad?" He turned back to Lucy. She was splattered with blood but was just standing there looking at him with empty unfeeling eyes.

"Did you… did you do this to them? Why?" He began to shriek. "Why would you do this to me?! I thought we were friends!"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked sounding surprised. "We were friends, that's why you're still alive." She then turned around and began to slowly walk away from him. "And now I'm going to kill that stupid girl."

"Yuka?" He whispered. He thought about poor Yuka.

With a shout he ran and tackled her.

"Stop it!" He shouted. He was terrified and crying but he had to make her stop. "Stop it! I'm begging you! Please stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" He began slamming her back down again and again with each of his cries. He didn't think about the fact he was putting his life in his own hands. All he could think about was that he couldn't let this happen to Yuka.

And as he sat on top of her yelling and pleading he dimly realized that her expression had changed. The uncaring face turned into one of dawning realization and pain, as though she had woken up from a dream and was now as horrified by things as he was. As she was staring up at him he saw tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?!" He screamed. "You did this! This is all your fault!"

"Kouta…"

He felt something push against his chest and knock him off of her. She scrambled up to her feet and ran.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She yelled out as she escaped the train car.

Now alone with the bodies of his father and sister Kouta curled up and closed his eyes. He tried with all his might to make the bad things he'd seen go away.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kouta's whole body was shaking. His knees suddenly gave and he found himself on the floor staring up at the now adult Lucy. She was just standing there looking at him, her face consumed by guilt and sorrow.

"Do you remember now?" She asked him quietly.

"I… I remember, I remember all of it. We… we were friends, I really liked you. How… how could you have done that?"

"I am not a human Kouta," she told him.

As if performing a magic trick the photograph of his family, a mug, and a book all began to float through the air in front of her.

"I am what is called a diclonius; these horns are just part of what makes me different from human beings. I also have the power to use invisible hands and arms called vectors to move things… or tear things apart."

"I don't understand," he said weakly.

She gave him a weary smile and the objects were all returned to their original places. "What's not to understand? I'm not human, I'm a monster."

"No you're not!" He said angrily and got back up to his feet. "The little girl I knew back then, and the person you are now, neither of you were monsters! Just because you have horns or magical arms that doesn't make you a monster!"

"Kouta," she said sadly. "How I wish I could have known you sooner! You are the only one, the only one who has ever known the truth and still been kind to me! Everyone else has always treated me like I was a freak or a monster. My life has been nothing but one long hell. The only happy times, the only happy memories I have are of that summer with you." She looked away. "And of our time together now, being with you has been my one and only joy."

"Then why? Why?!" In a rush he grabbed her roughly by the arms and glared at her. "Why did you kill my family?!"

She looked scared, but did not try to pull away or fight him.

"I… I did it because I saw you at the festival with Yuka. You'd told me your cousin was a boy and when I saw you'd lied to me I thought it meant you never really liked me. It broke my heart and I decided to hurt you the way you'd hurt me."

"You killed my father and my sister because I lied to you?!" He demanded. "I lied because I cared about you and didn't want to hurt your feelings! I was **nine**! What does a nine year old know? And how many lies have you told me Lucy? Does that give me the right to kill you?"

Looking him in the eye she slowly nodded. "If you want to kill me you can, you have that right. I won't stop you. In a way, dying at your hands would be the best way for it to end. At least I would be with the person I love."

He let go of her and stepped back. "Love? Is that one more of your lies?"

She slowly shook her head. "I have always loved you Kouta, that is the truth. If you believe nothing else, please believe that."

He stared at her. She was just standing there looking at him in such misery. He remembered the lonely little girl he'd known so long ago. How could he feel sorry for the person who had destroyed his life? Who had murdered poor little Kanae and his dad right in front of him. Yet he did feel sorry for her, and he did believe her when she said she loved him.

Maybe that just made him a fool.

"Why did you come back here after all this time?" He asked. "You knew what you did to me, why did you come back into my life? And why did you tell me the truth now?"

"I came back because in all the years since that night I have always, always longed to find you and apologize to you for that I did. I have never for one day not thought about you. Of all the pains and abuses I've suffered over the years the worst was knowing how I'd hurt you. Even if you couldn't forgive me I wanted to tell you how truly sorry I am." She looked at him and a single tear fell. "I am sorry Kouta, please forgive me."

She was a murderer and a liar. She was not human. She was the lonely little girl he had befriended. She was the beautiful woman he had started to have really strong feelings for. She was all of these things at once.

"Lucy I… I can never forgive you for what you did."

She lowered her head. "I see," she said softly. "I understand Kouta, and even though you hate me I'm still glad I was able to at least apologize to you. I'll leave now, I promise you'll never see me again." Her heart ached as she turned to go, but she'd always know that this was how he would likely answer. How could anyone forgive what she'd done?

As she started to leave he grabbed her again. This time it wasn't rough though. He put his arms around her waist and held her there.

"Don't go."

"What? Kouta how can you say that? Don't you hate me?"

"I… I can never ever forgive what you did Lucy, but… the little girl I met that day in the hills, and the person you are now. I love them both. I know it doesn't make any sense but I don't want you to go. I don't hate you Lucy, I love you. Please stay with me forever."

She shook. He loved her; he wanted to be with her. Even if he could not forgive her those words from him were enough. "Kouta! I love you too!" She turned around in his arms and kissed him.

XXXXXXXXXX

**The Next Morning**

Stumbling about on her bad ankle Yuka entered the dining room of the Maple Inn. "Kouta? Are you up yet? I don't smell anything cooking. Are you not making breakfast?"

She entered the dining room and kitchen to find them both deserted. The dishes and left over food from yesterday were still on the table. That was definitely not normal. She hurried over to his room as fast as she could on one and a half legs.

"Kouta? Are you feeling all right? Is anything wrong?"

She opened his bedroom door without knocking.

What she found was his bed still perfectly made and all the shelves bare and empty. The closet door was open too and there was nothing there either. The only thing here was an envelope on his desk with her name neatly written on it.

Hurrying over she tore it open and quickly read what he'd written there. When she was done she slowly crumpled up his letter and began to cry. "Kouta you idiot."

A few days later a couple police men showed up with a picture of Lucy asking questions. She was apparently connected to the murder of the coed that had shocked everyone at the start of the school year. Hearing this Yuka feared for her poor cousin and immediately told them everything about Lucy. The police were grateful for her cooperation, but frustrated to learn that she and her cousin had left together three days ago. Yuka had no idea where they were now.

XXXXXXXXXX

**Six Months Later**

On a crowded Tokyo metro a weary businessman stood there unaware as an invisible hand lifted his wallet and swiftly took it unobserved to the other end of the train car. It disappeared beneath the coat of a girl with dark brown hair a baseball cap and sunglasses.

At the next stop the girl got off and made her way to a small one bedroom flat in the working section of Tokyo. Once she was inside she tossed away the cap and wig. "Kouta! I'm home!"

"Hey Kaede," he came out of the small kitchen wearing dirty denim shirt and jeans. He had a job working construction. They both had fake IDs they'd purchased a week after coming here. They were saving as much money as they could as quickly as they could. They planned to move to America as soon as they had enough saved and then start a new life together far away from here. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Great!" She gave her husband a kiss. She'd informed him that her real name was Kaede and that was what she went by now. From beneath her coat she produced a couple dozen wallets and billfolds. She systematically began going through them, separating the cash out from the worthless credit cards people carried. When she was done she would use her vectors to carefully shred the rest and then dispose of it through the garbage disposal. They had to be very careful not to leave any evidence of who they were or what they were doing.

She noticed Kouta frowning at her as she worked. He didn't want her using her powers or committing crimes, but she had convinced him that given their circumstances there was just no other way. She had promised to never kill again, and that had satisfied him.

He eventually gave her another kiss and headed back to the kitchen to finish with dinner. They didn't have a luxurious lifestyle and had to always be careful, but she was free and she was with Kouta.

The world was heaven.

**THE END**


End file.
